Villa Luce is a stately home designed to provide the owners with a place to live in constant harmony with nature. The villa was built near Quebec City, Canada, and was designed by architects from MXMA Architecture & Design. It is a luxurious building with many expensive architectural features.
The residence was built in the hills of La Malbaie for a family wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. The owner dreamed of a warm retreat where she could rediscover nature and enjoy walks by the river. She found the ideal plot of land in the village of Cap-à-l’Aigle, a few kilometres from La Malbaie. It’s a picturesque region densely covered with forests. The shape of the plot provides optimal sunshine and views of the St Lawrence River. Another advantage was the existence of an access road, which is not such an obvious thing in the conditions of vast Canada.
The architects acknowledge that building a house on the plot involved cutting down several trees, but they tried to keep the felling to a minimum so that the house could be adjacent to the forest and nature could penetrate inside.
To get to the house, one has to cross a path that is several dozen metres long. The footbridge has been laid out between the trees and walking on it gives a feeling of tranquillity.
The villa has two levels. On the ground floor, the natural character of the building is emphasised by two stone walls that seem to emerge from the ground. The planes, decorated with wood, appear here as platforms for communication between the rooms. The first floor is more heavily glazed, allowing natural light to flood in. For the roof, the architects opted for a traditional gabled form.
When designing the building, light played a key role. The house was oriented along an east-west axis and set up so that the glazing benefits from the sun’s daily path. The communal living spaces were placed on the first floor to take full advantage of the panoramic views throughout the day. Bathed in natural light, these spaces have large windows optimised to maximise passive solar gains in winter, reducing the need for heating. In summer, wide roof eaves reduce sun exposure.
Two large terraces have been built on either side of the house. They form an extension of the living area and bring the householders closer to nature. The view of the greenery is not obscured by glass balustrades, which have been fixed in the floor.
By bringing the living area upstairs, the private areas with bedrooms were designed on the ground floor. The owners dreamt of having a large bathtub in the master bedroom. It makes it possible to relax with a view of the forest. The bath was cleverly recessed into the floor which enhances the minimalist effect. In total, the surface area of the entire house is 288 square metres.
photos: Nanne Springer
design: MXMA Architecture & Design
source: v2com
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